Dear to My Heart
by NonsensicalCheshire
Summary: They'd become friends that day, in that bush. Nanao hadn't even realize it had happened. / / Multi-chapter


A/N: I really BroTP ship these two. However, the anime tends to put much more emphasis on it than the manga does. The manga more emphasizes the relationship between Nanao and Momo or Rangiku and Momo, but whatever.

* * *

. . . . . . . .

It was her favorite spot.

That little corner in the courtyard, surrounded by tangles of greenery. When you were as skinny as Nanao, slipping through through the bars of the railing behind it was no problem. After all, she had the body of a tiny fifteen year old. She'd hide under the bushes and read in the shade. It was soothing, relaxing, the best pastime when work was over.

That spot was supposed to be secret.

And then one day it wasn't.

"Hey there!"

Nanao squeaked and twisted around, dropping her book. Standing right above the cluster of bushes was a young woman, about her (physical) age. Her hair was to her shoulders and wavy, a beautiful blonde. Crystal blue eyes twinkled merrily at Nanao. She was wearing a causal green yukata that showed off her developing chest well.

"Why are you under the bushes?" She tilted her head.

"W-why are you- how did you see me?" Nanao snapped, annoyed.

The girl's lips twisted in a giggle. "I thought I saw something move in the shadows. I was expecting a little kitty or something. Not a girl."

She frowned at the blonde and picked her book back up. "Well, it's a girl. Sorry. Carry on, carry on."

But the other girl kept chattering, friendly and kind. "Is that a good book? Really nice weather, isn't it? Shame it'll be snowing in a couple of months. Hey, aren't you the Seventh Seat of Squad Eight?"

Nanao sighed and slammed the book, the force blowing her bangs back. "Yes, I am." She adjusted her glasses and climbed out from under the bushes, squinting at the pretty young lady. "Aren't you a member of Squad 10? Why are you in my barracks?"

The blonde giggled. She was a giggly one. Normally Nanao hated gigglers, but hers was so cute and pleasant and natural it was hard to hate her. "It's a shortcut to my favorite noodle house. Wanna come with?"

Nanao stood up. The girl stood up as well. "I don't even know your name."

The blue eyes glimmered. Small hands took Nanao's in their own. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto!"

So Nanao Ise went to get dinner with Rangiku Matsumoto. The girl made her change into casual clothing ("Almost nobody wears their uniform outside of work, y'know."), which was just a gray kimono. Rangiku looked like she might start pouting because of the plainness, but it wasn't like she was trying to impress anybody. She was just going out for noodles with a girl she'd known for twenty minutes.

"Ah, this is the best place, Nanao!" Rangiku said, helping herself to a bowl of edamame.

Nanao winced at the casual use of her name. "Is it, Rangiku?" If her use of her name had alarmed her (which was the goal), she didn't show it.

The blonde stirred her tea that had just been poured by a nice looking waiter. "Oh yes. My best friend, Gin Ichimaru, takes me here a lot."

Startled, the black-haired girl put her cup down. "Gin Ichimaru is your best friend?"

The smile slipped off the full lips, leaving a curious look. "Yes. You know- That's right, of course you do. Sometimes I forget that Gin is the lieutenant of Squad Five. Silly me."

Nanao looked down at her hands. Word was that Gin Ichimaru had been there with Aizen when they went to inspect… that crime scene some forty years ago. The one when Lisa had been killed.

Her hands tightened around each other.

"Sorry. Gin _does _make a lot of people uneasy." Rangiku smiled sheepishly, then leaned in, serious-looking. She pointed both index fingers at her face. "It's 'cause of his face! His face is really, really scary looking."

"Oh, uh, sure." Nanao's eyebrow twitched. She was leaning in very close. "His face."

Rangiku nodded like it was suddenly all coming together for her. "His face! It's really foxy."

They stared at each other. Nanao's cheeks puffed out with the strain of not laughing. Rangiku realized how what she had said sounded.

"N-not like that! Snake-y! His face is snake-y, not foxy!"

"Awww, really, Ran-chan?"

Nanao looked up and Rangiku swiveled around. A boy about their age was leaning over their seat from his table, smiling coldly at them. His hair was silver, and his lips were thin.

He made her feel uneasy, but Rangiku looked delighted. "Gin!" She hugged him best she could from behind the chair. "You're back from your investigation!"

The boy's smile seemed to warm up, just a bit. "I am. Horribly boring, you would've hated it. Meh, it was work. You would've hated it even if it was the most exciting thing in the history of ever. So." He leaned forward even further, then simply decided to leave his table and sit next to Rangiku. "Who's your pretty friend?"

_Pretty? _Nanao thought. She straightened up, aware she was in the presence of a highly ranked officer. "I'm Nanao Ise, Squad Eight's seventh seat. Pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Ichimaru."

Gin tossed a hand dismissively. "Nah, don't call me Lieutenant. Too formal for one of Ran-chan's friends to call me that. Call me Gin."

"Gin-san," she insisted.

He sighed, seeming genuinely disappointed. "Gin-san. I've ain't seen you before, Nanao-chan. When did you meet my Ran-chan?"

Rangiku answered for her. "She was alone in the bushes, so I thought I would invite her to dinner with me."

Gin laughed. "You were in the _bushes, _Nanao-chan? What for?"

Nanao went pink. "I was reading!"

But Gin and Rangiku still laughed at her. Turning an even darker shade, Nanao looked down at her hands, a bit embarrassed.

* * *

. . . . . . . .

It became a bit of a regular thing. Rangiku would pick her up from her room and invite her out to lunch or dinner or whatever, and Nanao would accept. Sometimes Gin was there, but a lot of the time he was busy with important lieutenant stuff and just couldn't make it.

Before Nanao knew it, Rangiku had become a friend very dear to her heart.


End file.
